Established in 1998, the Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies promotes an interdisciplinary approach to area studies in order to better understand the world’s diverse regions. The school aims to train specialists in Asian and African area studies, who have a global perspective, but also retain a detailed understanding of localities.
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) was established in March 1998 under an initiative of the Japanese government and with the support of Kanagawa Prefecture based on the “Charter for the Establishment of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies”. The aim of the Institute is to achieve a new paradigm for civilization and conduct innovative policy development and strategic research for environmental measures, reflecting the results of research into political decisions for realising sustainable development both in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外務省, Gaimu-shō) is a cabinet-level ministry of the Japanese government responsible for the country's foreign relations.
In recent years, wild boars (Sus scrofa) have caused growing damage to farm crops in a hilly and mountainous area of the Tohoku region. In particular, in designated evacuation zones following the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, there are growing concerns about the expanding range of wild boars and the resulting degradation of farmland.